Illinois is set to introduce a bill requiring fossil fuel companies to contribute to a climate superfund amid rising costs from global warming. This effort joins a wave of similar legislation in other states, driven by advocates pushing for polluters to cover expenses like flooding and heat waves. New York and Vermont have already enacted such laws, despite opposition from industry and the federal government.
Illinois lawmakers are preparing to introduce a climate change superfund bill in the state legislature, aiming to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for the financial burdens of global warming. The proposal, led by State Rep. Robyn Gabel in the House and State Sen. Graciela Guzmán in the Senate, targets costs such as rising home insurance premiums, utility bills, health expenses, and damages from extreme weather events like flooding and heat waves in the state.
Gabel, an Evanston Democrat, emphasized the need for responsibility: “The costs with climate change are going to be extravagant, and it’s going to end up on the backs of the taxpayers, and the oil companies continue to walk away with huge profits. Polluting companies should be responsible for the damage they cause.” Guzmán added that the bill would establish “a fairer standard for who pays when climate damage hits our towns and neighborhoods.”
This initiative is part of a broader national movement. Advocates rallied in Chicago on Thursday as part of the “Make Polluters Pay” campaign, with events in Connecticut, Colorado, California, New Jersey, and Maine. Rhode Island introduced a similar bill this month, while Washington, DC, announced a study on climate impacts and potential compensation. In Maine, a superfund bill advanced from committee to a full Senate vote on Wednesday.
New York and Vermont have already passed climate superfund laws, modeled after the 1980 Superfund act that requires polluters to clean up toxic sites. Public support is strong, with 71% of likely voters favoring oil and gas companies contributing to climate damages, according to Data for Progress and Fossil Free Media.
However, the measures face resistance. The Trump administration and fossil fuel industry have launched legal challenges against the New York and Vermont laws, with the Department of Justice labeling them “burdensome and ideologically motivated.” The American Petroleum Institute lists fighting such legislation among its 2026 priorities, arguing it would “bypass Congress and threaten affordability.”
Gina Ramirez of the Natural Resources Defense Council, whose Chicago home suffered flood damage not covered by insurance, sees the bill as essential: “It only makes sense as our bills get higher and we pay the price for climate change, that polluters, the oil and gas industry, pay their fair share as well.” Cassidy DiPaola of Fossil Free Media described the push as a “David versus Goliath fight” but affirmed advocates' resolve, noting recent disasters like Hurricanes Helene and Milton have heightened public demand for accountability.
In 2025, the US saw 23 billion-dollar weather disasters costing $115 billion, contributing to over $3.1 trillion in damages since 1980.
